The protest will be outside the – yes, you guessed it – High Commission on Trafalgar Square. It will be right in the middle of drinking time – Friday 28 September at 6 thirty.
The DA Abroad says the “controversial Protection of the State Information Bill – or the Secrecy Bill – will soon be put to the vote in the South African Parliament.”
The Secrecy Bill, which was first tabled in 2010, will give the government powers to censor any information they deem to be in the interest of ‘National Security’. It will make it a punishable offence for anyone to be in possession of information that they deem to be in the interest of that thing (National Security).
DA Abroad’s global chairman, Ludre Stevens, feels that if the bill were to be enacted in its current form, “we might never be able to access the truth of what happened at the Marikana tragedy or get to the bottom of the controversial arms deal.”
Stevens in his own words: “By seeking to shut down further debate, the ANC has failed in its duty to bring the Bill in line with the Constitution and has turned its back on its responsibility to prevent this assault on South Africans’ constitutional rights. The DA Abroad stands by the millions of South Africans across the political spectrum and civil society who are calling on the ANC government to respect the country’s constitution and to make the necessary amendments to this legislation.”
Somebody needs to remind the DA Abroad that SA will have an election soon and that SA expats are still battling to acquire a provincial vote and will battle to register as voters abroad.
They can also focus on the fact that SA government officials now have put in place secure passports as required by the British Home office, but that family members still have to pay R1000 just to come and visit them for one day in London to get a Pommie visa.
If they look at visa discrimination against South Africans by the Pommie regime they can also find thousands of fresh causes to fight for.
So our message to the DA Abroad… Give South Africans abroad;
- all the info about registering to VOTE from abroad and when the elections will take place. Do this now rather than last minute when it is too late.
- an update on what is being done to help reduce the cost of VISAS for family and friends to visit them in the UK
- an update us to what is happening to or being done to get South Africa signed up to the “Youth Mobility Scheme”, formerly known as “Working Holiday Visas”
But please go and support the march as the Secricy Bill could be the beginning of the end for South Africa. We can make a difference together and just by showing up you could help make the future of South Africa brighter.
More info on The South Afican Newspaper
